Monday, August 24, 2015

Dutch-Surinamese All-time 23 member team

Holland has a number of great soccer players who were born in Suriname or traced their ancestry to Suriname. Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard are considered among the greatest Dutch players in history. This is my selection of the Dutch-Surinamese all-time 23 member team.Please also see myAll-Time World Cup Team Index.

TeamGK: Stanley MenzoMenzo spent over 10 years with Ajax. He played mainly with PSV Eindhoven, Lierse SK and Girondins de Bordeaux, He went to the World Cup in 1990. He was the Dutch Goalkeeper of the Year in 1990. He spent most of his career with Ajax.GK: Michel VormVorm started his career with FC Utrecht and played for Swansea. He moved to Tottenham Hotspurs in 2014. He was the backup keeper at both 2010 and 2014 WC Finals.GK: Kenneth VermeerVermeer was a long term keeper for Ajax. In 2014, he shocked the football world by joining rival Feyenoord. At the time of writing, he received 5 caps for the national team. He is the current Dutch national team record holder for longest streak in goal without conceding in a match, having not conceded a goal since his debut in 2012. RB:Michael ReizigerHe was a member of the Golden Generation from Ajax that won Champions League with Ajax in 1995. After a brief stint with AC Milan, he moved to Barcelona in 1997. He was capped 70 times for Holland.RB: Mario MelchioMelchio started with Ajax, but the peak of his career was spent with Chelsea between 1999 and 2004. He was capped 20 times for Holland. He went to Euro 2008.CB/RB: Ulrich Van GobbelVan Gobbel played for Feyenoord, Galatasaray and Southampton, He picked up 8 caps and went to USA 1994.

DM/CB: Frank RijkaardFrank Rijkaard was one of Holland's most important player. He won the 1988 European Championship in West Germany, and then, played 5 seasons with AC Milan when Milan was considered the greatest club team in the world. In 1995, he led a young Ajax team to their famous Champions' League victory.

Frank Rijkaard

CB: Humphrey MijnalsBorn in Suriname, he became the first Surinamese player to play for Holland. He began his professional career in Brazil with America Futebol Clube. He made his national team against Bulgaia in 1960. He was remembered for clearing a ball from the goalline through a overhead kick in that match. His international career was limited due to a dispute with the Dutch FA. He later played for the Surinamese National Team.CB: Winston BogardeHe won 20 caps for Holland. He was a member of the Golden Generation from Ajax that won Champions League in 1995. In 1998, he joined the Dutch contingency at Barcelona. Two seasons later, he joined Chelsea. LB/CB: Wilfred BoumaHe won 37 caps for Holland. He played in three European Championship: 2004, 2008 and 2012. From 1994 to 2005, he played for PSV. In 2005, he moved to Aston Villa, where he had a successful career before returning to PSV.

Wilfred Bouma

DM: Edgar DavidsNicknamed "the Pitbull", he was one of the greatest defensive midfielders in the world. He won the European Champions' League with Ajax in 1995. He was an important player at the WC Finals in 1998 when Holland reached the semi-final. He also spent 7 seasons with Juventus at the height of his career.DM: Nigel De JongKnown as tough defensive midfielder, he made his name with Ajax, Hamburger and Manchester City. At Manchester City, he helped the club to win their first ever Premiership. At the time of writing, he played for AC Milan. He is a regular member of the national team since 2004. He is probably best remembered for kung-fu kicking Xabi Alonso at the WC Final in 2010.

Nigel De Jong

CM/DM/CB: Orlando Engelaar Vick played for Ajax between 1988 and 1993 for Ajax. He left for Genoa in Serie A in 1993. However, his career was affected by injuries after his departure from Ajax. He played twice for Holland as a young player, but injuries kept him from selection.

CM/LM: Clarence SeedorfSeedorf is the first player to win three Champion League titles with 3 different clubs. He was a member of the Golden Generation from Ajax that won Champions League in 1995. In 1996, he moved to Real Madrid, where he quickly established himself as a star. He would win two Champions League title there. He later played for both AC Milan and Inter Milan. He was a key player for the Dutch national team.

Clarence Seedorf

RM: Aron WinterBorn in Suriname of an unique ethnic background. He was both an Indian and Chinese descendent. He started his career with Ajax and joined Lazio at the height of Serie A during the early 1990's. He later played for Inter Milan. For the national team, he was a regular member of the team and a part of the Euro 1988 winning team. His last major tournament was the Euro 2000.RW:Gerald VanenburgDuring the 1990's, he formed a dangerous partnership Marco Van Basten and Wim Kieft at Ajax. He would join PSV in 1986. For the national team, he was a part of the Golden Generation that won the European Championship in 1988. He played for Holland 42 times.RW/SS:Gaston TaumentTaument played the vast majority of his 14-year professional career with Feyenoord, amassing Eredivisie totals of 204 games and 45 goals over the course of nine seasons., where he starred along side Regi Blinker. He earned 15 caps. He played for Holland at the WC in 1994 ands at Euro 1996.LW:Bryan RoyRoy played for Ajax in the late 1980's and early 1990's. He went to Foggis in 1992 when Ajax decided to promote their young players. He would join Nottingham Forrest in 1994. He was capped 32 times and played at both Italian 1990 and USA 1994.

Bryan Roy

LW: Regi BlinkerKnown for his partnership with Gaston Taument at Feyenoord. He later played for Sheffield Wednesday and Celtic. He picked up 3 caps for Holland.AM: Ruud GullitHe was the iconic captain of Holland 1988. In 1987, he moved from PSV Eindhoven to A.C. Milan for a world record transfer fee. He was an important player for AC Milan during the 1980's where they won two straight European Cups. He was the European Footballer of the Year in 1987 and the World Soccer Player of the Year in 1987 and 1989. He spent one season with Sampdoria winning the Italian Cup in 1994.

Gullit at Euro 1988

ST:Pierre Van HooijdonkVan Hooijdonk played for many clubs in his career. His longest stints were with NAC Breda, Nottingham Forrest, Feyenoord and Celtic. He played over 40 times for Holland, despite the fact that he played in the same generation as Patrick Kluivert, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Roy Makaay and Ruud Van Nistelrooy.

ST: Patrick KluivertThe teenage star of the great Ajax team of 1995. He was also a star with Barcelona. He joined Milan in 1997, but he quickly left for Barcelona a season later. He had a relatively successes at the club, but left for Newcastle United in 2004. His career was never the same due to injuries. He was a part of the national team from 1996 to 2004.

Patrick Kluivert

ST: Jimmy Floyd HasselbainkHe was late bloomer where he played with smaller clubs until he moved to Portugal in 1995. His best stint was probably in England with Leeds United and Chelsea. He was the Premier League Golden Boot winner in both 1998-1999. 2000-2001. He only played 23 times because of Holland loaded with forwards during the peak of his career.

Honorable MentionRomeo Castelen, Jerry De Jong, Edson Braafheild, Luciano Narsingh, Ken Monkou, Ryan Babel, Romeo Castelen, Henk Fraser, Marciano Vink.Squad Explanation-- Ken Monkou is uncapped. I preferred capped players even through that does not say much about the skilled level of the players.-- Humphrey Mijnals was selected for his historical role, but he was very good in general.-- Jerry De Jong is probably better known as Nigel's dad. His club career was not too impressive.-- Marciano Vink's position is well-covered by Davids, Rijkaard and Seedorf. His injuries really destroyed his career. So I took Orlando Engelaar instead.-- I did not take Romeo Castelen because there are too many wingers on the team.-- I believe John Heitinga is not of Surinamese origin.Starting lineupFormation 4-4-2(diamond)-- Van Hooijdonk mkght have picked up many caps than Hasselbaink, but Hasselbaink was a better player.-- I dropped Rijkaard to the backline so that I could play Winter. Besides, the other centre-backs were not too good.